Improvement in gang-plows



J. K. McLEN NAN.

Gang-Flows.

Patented Feb.11,1873.

AM Puom-L/mnenAPH/c co. Mwossomvfs man@ UNITED STATES N)PATENT OFFICE.

JOFIN K. MCLENNAN, OF ELMIRA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GANG-PLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,654, dated February 1l, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN K. MCLENNAN, of Elmira, in the county of Starke and in the State ot' Illinois, have invented a valuable Improvement in Gang- Plow; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed dra-win g making apart of this specification, in which ,like letters of reference refer to like parts, and in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal elevation, the wheel in front being removed; Fig. 2, a plan; Fig. 3, an end view in front of part of machine, showing stirrup, &c.

This invention consists of an improvement in the mode of raising and lowering the plows and revolving cutters of a gang-plow by means of slotted levers pivoted to the axle-tree on each side of the frame, which operate by raising the whole of plow, cutters, and frame at once, the bearings of which frame are supported by a roller xed in a slot in each lever, the latter being operated from the drivers seat. Also, in quickly adapting the angle of the tongue 7 to the requirements of the machine, when said lever is changed, by means of the pressure of the drivers foot upon a foot-board pivoted to the frame, and having, at the other end, a bearing upon the tongue-tail, and in the use of an auxiliary lever to raise said foot-board and lower the fore part of the frame and heel of the tongue simultaneously so as to lift the plows entirely from the soil when necessary.

A A represent the two parallel plow-beams, braced together by the cross braces a b b, to which the plows e f are attached in the usual position and manner, each being preceded by a rotary cutter, g h, both of which are attached to the frame. Beneath, and near the middle of each beam A A, is fixed a ver tical staple, fl t', with a vertical slot, in which is retained one end of the axle-tree B, and in which the latter may be raised or lowered, as hereafter described 5 B, the supporting axle tree, which is prevented from lateral movement by the stops a n on either side of the staples C U are the supporting-wheels. D D are two levers, managed from the drivers seat d, each being pivoted to the axle-tree, and are each provided with a slot above the pivot, having a small anti-friction roller, p p,

over which, in the said slot, passes a horizontal rod, k k, parallel with and firmly xed to the beam A, one on each side of the latter, and extending more or less in advance of the axle, and on a level with the bottom of the beam. Eis a horizontal foot-board, pivoted at its rear end to a cross-rod, g, or similar device, extending from said rod, forward and carrying, suspended from its middle part be neath, a stirrup, l, pivoted thereto, the lower part ot' which stirrup is also pivoted to the heel of the tongue F, the latter being also pivoted, at z between beams A, a little in advance of the stirrup. To the upper part of the latter a connectingbar, 7', is pivoted, which bar is again pivoted, at its upper end, to :an inclined lever, I, which extends hence to a point in advance of the pivot which contines the tongue lxto the beam A. The angle inclosed by these is nearly a right angle, the lever I forming the diagonal77 A vertical rod or stay, m, having a notch or angle forming a detent for the lever I, rises from the beam close to the lever. Gr G are detent-rods, attached above to a short lever, y y, pivoted in the top of each lever D D, each rod G G passing downward in front of their respective levers through an eye, w w, on the same, and each in a fork, m, which straddles the horizontal rod 7c k. This fork is adjustable in any ofthe notches on said rod lc lf. Above the fork a: a: of each detent-rod is a collar, between which and the eye w is a spiral spring, c, surrounding this part of the detent. i

The operation of this machine is as follows: The whole machine is lifted from the soil by raising the levers D D, which brings the rollers p 1o in the lever-slots against the horizon tal bars 7c k on either side ot' the beams A A at the same time that the heel of the tongue F is allowed to rise with the frame A A, so that any reasonable depth of cut may be given to the plows. The levers D D are detained at points or notches on their respective l bars k lc by their detent-rods G G. Again, to adjust the plows to a proper depth the foot-board E is depressed, which also depresses the stirrup Zlattached to the heel of the tongue F, thus lowering the heel of said tongue, and allowing the plows to strike a deeper furrow. The board E and the tongue are again raised by lifting,r forward the auxiliary-lever 1 to raise the plows from the soil or regulate their cuttinge` depth.

It will be seen that the joint use of the levers l) D permit, by their detents G, a nice adjustment of the depthof the ploWs in the soil; and also, when desired, raise all the plows and revolving colters from the soil.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The bent slotted levers D D, with their adj ustin g-detents G G, or equivalents, attached to the axle B, as constructed in combination with their horizontal bars 7c k, attached to the plow-beams A A, substantially as described.

2. The plow-beams A A, when constructed as described, and carrying the axle-staples i z', and

Witnesses MARTIN SHALLENBERGER,

Tnos. M. SHALLENBERGER. 

